Chapter Twenty-Two

Silas

Chloe's pulse was already racing.

Turning my long serpentine neck, I brought my snout around to look directly at her, while my wings continued to power us toward our destination.

"You're going to be fine."

She looked up, the wind catching her hair and causing it to billow out behind her. "What are you talking about?"

I refrained from smiling at the innocent act. Not all humans found it charming to be staring down a toothy grin from a dragon. Not when some of those teeth were nearly as big as they were.

"I can feel your heartbeat," I told her.

She glanced down to where she straddled the base of my neck, her outfit covered by a wrap to prevent the wind from pulling at it and ruining the delicate material. "How?"

"The pulse in your groin."

Her eyes flicked down, then back up. I could see her doing the math on just how sensitive my scales must be to detect such a thing.

"You can, can you?"

I nodded. "I can also detect changes in heat. Say, the difference between your inner legs and your groin when you're thinking about that thing I did to you last night."

Her mouth, already half-open, snapped shut. Just as I'd hoped, there was an increase of warmth between her legs, even as her face turned a light tinge of red.

"My point is," I said, taking pity on her, knowing she was strung-up already, "you can relax. You're going to be fine, you have nothing to worry about."

"How can you say that? There's plenty to worry about. There's the fact this is a big deal for everyone. We're showing up without your father, who hasn't spoken to you in a week now, which will set all kinds of tongues wagging, I'm sure."

"Caleb says he's slowly starting to get his head out of his ass, at least as far as the governorship proposal goes," I said. "He just needs more time."

I didn't mention we were quickly running out of time.

"Right. There's also Caine and his family," she said, ticking off another finger. "They're bound to be up to something. Even if it isn't all-out violence. Which it could be."

I doubted Caine would do something at the ball itself, but she had a point. He wasn't overly patient. Giving us the full two weeks to "retract our insult" wasn't his style.

"And finally, last but to me one of the most important, is having to dance in front of everyone and not screw up! That's just a little bit of pressure for someone who prefers to stay out of the spotlight."

"I love how fiery you get when you're arguing a point," I said without thinking over my words first. "It's really attractive."

Silence reigned as Chloe looked away, flustered by one specific word in particular. It wasn't as if I'd say those words, but it was close. Close to an admittance of something neither of us had truly addressed. But I knew I couldn't be the only one feeling it.

The past week had been one of the best of my life. Spending it all with Chloe. We'd wake up, she would enjoy a calm, lounging morning while I took care of business. Then we would lunch, followed by hours of dance training.

My hands on her waist, her hips, her back, her body near me or against me. The constant scent of her sweet pheromones on my lips. Then, of course, there was the after. Sometimes, we would shower first. Sometimes, we didn't make it out of the shower. Other times, we would just lock eyes after completely a dance, and the clothes would go flying.

After the first couple of days, she became insatiable, her body used to my size and eager for more. I hadn't had that much fun, wild sex ever. She drove me and my dragon wild, and there was no way I could stop now, even if I wanted to. The only thing on my mind, was Chloe. Chloe. Chloe.

"Thank you," she said, breaking the silence as the palace came into view, its rooftop ablaze with light and cordoned-off zones for approaching dragons to land without interfering with others.

I kept my head roaming, watching the skies for any potential signs of attack. Doing so there, in sight of everyone else approaching the palace would be beyond brazen, even for Caine, but I wasn't willing to risk Chloe's safety on that assumption.

"Trust me, your dancing skills are fine," I reassured her, angling my descent toward an open fire-lit square.

"I don't want to be fine," she said, holding a little tighter as my claws touched down, and I stabilized us.

"You're too harsh on yourself."

She climbed down my wing before responding, still focused on keeping her balance on the membrane while also having to maneuver with the wrap around her body, keeping her dress protected.

"It's just so different. All your steps default to the left. It's so opposite of everything humans do. I still feel awkward, you know?"

I shifted back as she unwrapped herself, shaking the dress down into place.

"Silas? Silas? Earth to Silas?"

"Huh?"

"Up here," she said, pointing her fingers at her eyes as I tore my eyes away from her chest. "This pair, not that one."

"How am I supposed to decide which pair to look at when they're both so nice?"

Chloe crossed her arms and frowned. The action only served to further emphasize her breasts through the belly-plunging slit at the front. I thought for a moment they were going to pop free and stared eagerly.

"Silas."

"Hey," I said, shrugging and stepping forward to take her arm. "You knew what was going to happen and that you would get that sort of attention with this dress. So, don't get mad just because I'm enjoying the view."

"You get to see them without anything in the way all the time."

"Which is also awesome. This is just different. You look good," I growled as we headed for the stairs.

"Good enough to distract from my dancing?"

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Yes."

We descended the stairs and followed the line of guards before turning off to the side, down a smaller hallway. The others streaming in continued ahead.

"What is this? Where are we going?" she asked as we approached a door manned by a single servant in palace livery. There were two couples ahead of us waiting.

"This is how we enter," I told her uncomfortably. "The ‘old' families get announced."

"And everyone else?"

"They have their own entrance," I said. "Just walking in."

She laughed harshly.

"What?"

"Nothing really," she said with a shrug. "Just fascinating to see the segregation by social status and that it exists among your people as well. Shows we're perhaps not as different as those on either side would make it."

I smiled. "I hate it, as do most of my peers. It's stupid, but it's ‘tradition,' and the sovereign is expected to adhere to it. There are people who would flip if she didn't do it at such a formal event."

"People like your father."

Grimacing, I nodded. "Exactly like him," I said, unhappy about the reminder he was part of the problem. It wasn't a surprise, of course, but it sucked. I wanted my father to be a part of the solution, one helping drive our people forward.

Not holding us back, which, unfortunately, was exactly what he and those who thought like him were doing.

It was disappointing and painful to be let down by one I should be able to hold to a gold standard.

"Hey," Chloe said, patting my arm and leaning her head against my shoulder. "It's okay. I know how you're feeling."

I looked down at her. "You do?"

"Yes," she said. "You're hurt. Feeling let down. He should be someone showing you how to do things right. Instead, he's failing you."

Her voice was tight. I nodded, wondering what had happened to her.

"Yeah," she said, eyes going distant for a moment. "It sucks. But you can do better. You will do better. Already are as far as I'm concerned."

"Thanks."

"I mean it." She squeezed hard. "As far as I can tell, you're a good person, Silas. Don't lose sight of that."

We moved up as the couple in front of us were announced.

"I'll try. Now, are you ready?"

"No," she said, the unease returning as she stared straight ahead, far too rigid. "But let's do this anyway. I'll just hope people won't notice if I misstep."

"They won't," I said as the door opened again.

"Really?"

"Yeah," I said as the doorman stepped through and announced us. "They'll be too busy staring at your tits."

Chloe let out a strangled noise of shock and anger as we stepped through the door and into the ballroom.